Organization Strategies for Neurodivergents

(and everyone else). Help overcoming executive functioning challenges and inertia.

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Overwhelm

I’m standing in the middle of my home office. The surface of my desk is covered with papers, sticky notes, and dirty coffee mugs. I take a few steps towards it, then stop. I try to think about where to start. I move a little closer.

I move a few papers around on the desk and pick up one that looks important. It’s a paper from my son’s school, outlining important information for their upcoming ski trip. I have to keep that on my desk where I can see it. If I file it away, I’ll forget it exists, and then we’ll forget to get things ready when the time comes.

I sigh, setting it off to the side, and shuffle a few more papers around.

I want to file away some of this mess into my filing cabinet, but I’m out of file folders. I don’t want to buy more file folders, because I know I can go through the cabinet and shred or recycle things I no longer need. But I don’t have the time or energy to spend on that big chore right now, I just want my desk to be tidy.

Another sigh, more pushing papers around.

I settle for stacking the papers in neat piles, with the most important documents on top, realizing there’s a bill that needs to be paid soon. I don’t want to forget, so I sit down at my computer and do some online banking.

This quickly diverts to other things, and before I know it, I’m writing an article about organization while surrounded by disorganization.

The irony, amiright?

No, that’s not a typo — Bart Simpson created by Matt Groening — (image created by author)

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Sound familiar?

Before you think I’m not fit to give advice about organization, the scenario above happens much less frequently than it used to. For the most part, I have developed strategies that work for me, and do tend to keep my office fairly tidy.